Republicans Advocate for Harmful Sequester

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Republicans Advocate for Harmful Sequester

Over the past several weeks Republicans have increasingly shown their support of the sequester, which is due to take effect in just over two weeks. Instead of working towards a balanced and bipartisan solution to prevent it from happening, Republicans are embracing the cuts, which were designed to be irrational and irresponsible. In fact, this has been their longstanding policy preference. Their own “Cut Cap, and Balance Act” [H.R. 2560] included “enforcement of spending caps through sequestration.”

Here’s the latest Republican endorsements of the sequester:

Rep. Mike Pompeo: “The sequester is here, it’s time, we’ve got to get these spending reductions in place… It’s going to be a home run. We’re doing what the American people asked the United States House of Representatives to do in 2010 when I came here. We’re reducing the size and scope of the federal government. I think the American people will have tremendous respect. I think the markets will respond very positively when we, for the first time, say we have a spending reduction plan and we’re actually going to follow through on it. So I’m very optimistic that on March 2 we’ll all wake up and America will have tremendous respect for what its House of Representatives led and what its federal government was able to accomplish.” [POLITICO, 2/13]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: “It’s pretty clear to me that the sequester is going to go into effect …Read my lips: I’m not interested in an 11th-hour negotiation.” [Washington Post, 2/12]

Rep. Tom Cole: “We would rather see those cuts happen … I can assure you that there will not be a political blink on this. These cuts will occur.” [U.S. News and World Report, 2/6].

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland: “I think the sequester happens…. If this is the only way we can cut spending, this is what we gotta do.” [POLITICO, 2/6]

Rep. John Shimkus: “Sequestration is coming. It's coming. We've got to get spending cuts. ... No new revenue. It's all about spending.” [POLITICO, 2/5]

Sen. Tom Coburn: “I think sequester’s going to happen. … I think people want it to happen.” [New York Times, 2/1]

Sen. Mike Johanns: “I just have a feeling the sequester’s going to happen. …I just think there’s so much concern about the debt and spending that it overrides most issues these days.” [CQ, 2/1]

Sen. Kelly Ayotte: “[Sequestration] looks like . . . where we’re headed.” [CQ, 2/1]

Sen. John Cornyn: “[The sequester] is the only cuts we’ve got right now.” [Washington Post, 1/30]

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan: “I think the sequester is going to happen.” [Meet the Press, 1/27]

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